Our School > Library Media Center

The newly renovated Dr. Pharrah J. DeWindt Library Media Center is located in the midst of the sprawling McKinley Comprehensive High School Campus at 1500 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York.  It is named in memory of an innovative, energetic, engaging, intelligent and gifted ELA Teacher and Educator extraordinaire, who passed away in 2005.  The legacy of Dr. DeWindt lives on in our school, as we strive to encourage our students to become lifelong learners, who will make positive, distinguished contributions to our country and perhaps, the world.

Library Services Mission Statement: The Buffalo School Library System believes that every student in the Buffalo School District shall have equal access to an array of information and that every member library will prepare its student population with lifelong learning skills necessary for the 21st century through a dynamic library program and a technology-rich learning environment. 

Library Services department provides leadership and direction to the overall library programs in all Buffalo public and private schools. 
Library Services department identifies and analyzes program needs; collects data and establishes priorities; promotes maintenance of standards and quality programs; plans, distributes, and monitors state funds distributed to schools; assists in developing and supporting district curricula. It provides direction, funds, training, and support for public and private school libraries.  

Our collection is compiled of many and various print and non-print materials for the purpose of supporting the curriculum and the information needs of students, staff, teachers, parents and the school community.  The newest technology is incorporated into our Media Program, with the availability of frequently updated computers, databases and software. Available databases/websites include:

Gale Databases
Covering all core curriculum areas, including history, literature, science, social studies, and more, this portal provides a premium selection of reference material including thousands of full-text periodicals and newspapers, primary sources, creative works, e-books, video and audio clips as well as podcasts.  Through an intuitive, easy to use interface, students have immediate access to a wide range of materials twenty-four hours a day.  No password is necessary in school.
Go to: http://galesites.com/k12/buffalocs/

World Book Online Encyclopedia
A great place to start, especially if you don’t know much about a topic and want a general overview before your in-depth research.  It’s also great for narrowing down a topic.
Go to:  http://www.worldbookonline.com

VITAL New York on Teacher's Domain
Free online digital library of K-12 media resources, brought to you by the New York State public broadcasting stations and their partners.  You’ll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities.  The resources are aligned to the New York State core curriculum and Common Core standards for grades K-12.
Go to: http://www.teachersdomain.org/

Castle Learning
Go to: https://castlelearning.com/review/login/login.aspx